


After All This Time

by pixieferry



Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 08:09:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18988690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixieferry/pseuds/pixieferry
Summary: King Liam’s POV of the wedding day (one shot)





	After All This Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually my first TRR fic ever, but I never got around to posting it here heh

This was it. The moment Cordonia had been waiting for. Under his normal calm demeanor, Liam was a bundle of nervous energy from anticipation.  _Focus. Think of her._  

He surreptitiously patted the Statue of Liberty keychain in his breast pocket, closed his eyes and pictured Riley’s smile, the soothing warmth of her touch. The amazing night when they first met, how she surprised him, pulling down the walls he had been trained to build around himself.

_“Why are you doing this for me?"_

_"Maybe I’m falling for you.”_

His heart leapt to his throat when the doors finally opened. Everybody turned to catch a glimpse of the lovely vision in white entering the cathedral. A sea of people from all over the world, powerful politicians, beautiful celebrities, friends and family but Liam has eyes only for one.

The music swelled as the bride gracefully made her way down the aisle. His eyes meets Riley’s, her eyes glistened as she gives him a tiny smile.

God, he how loved her. Liam had never expected to feel this way about anyone. Had never expected to meet anyone like Riley. They had been through so much together, and she had faced it all with incredible resilience and charm. Every inch the Queen Cordonia deserves.

He could scarcely believe that not too long ago, they had had a very difficult but honest conversation. Til this day it made him sick to his stomach.

_"If I do marry Madeleine, can you go on like this? Stealing moments, meeting in secret?”_

_“I don’t know,” she answered after a pause. She chewed her lip, “It’s one thing while there’s still a chance for us, but if you marry her…”_

_“I understand. You deserve more than that.”_

He didn’t tell her, but Liam had decided in the Blue Grotto that no matter what happened, the woman he loved would never end up as his mistress.

After what felt like an agonizingly long wait, the bride finally made it to the altar and took her place by the groom’s side. Liam reached out, gently lifting the veil.

_“Are you glad I came?” the angel before him whispered, tugging her white dress. Her eyes shining with hope and vulnerability behind the silver mask._

The bishop cleared his throat and waited for them to turn to face him before he spoke. 

“Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together today.”

_“Ever since my brother abdicated, I’ve known I would marry for the benefit of Cordonia. I had made my peace with that. But then I met you, and I allowed myself to hope that I could marry for Cordonia and for love.”_

“Marriage, that blessed arrangement, that dream within a dream!”

_“Now…I don’t want a loveless marriage, and I’ll never have anything more than that with Madeleine.”_

So much wasted time. He remembered the many stolen fervent kisses that always left him wanting more.  _No more hiding,_  Liam smiled.

“…true love, will follow you forever. So treasure your love.”

He wasn’t going to let her slip through his fingers again. Not like the Coronation Night, powerless as they dragged her away. The bitter taste of bile in his mouth when he had to utter another woman’s name. Liam knew what he wanted, and he was going to seize it.

_“I wanted to tell you this now, so it’s just between the two of us, and not the entire court. Because even if I didn’t need to choose a bride tonight, I’d still be proposing. Because I don’t need any more time to decide, I already know…”_

“Your Majesty, time to recite your vows.”

Liam took a deep breath, and nodded to the Bishop.  _Finally_. He didn’t expect to feel so calm in the end.

The Bishop smiled encouragingly. “Please repeat after me. I, Liam…”

“I, Liam…” his voice echoed through the hall, ringing with conviction. His eyes met Riley’s again, his face broke into a smile of pure joy.

_“It was always you in my heart.”_

“Take thee, Madeleine…”

“Take thee, Riley…”

* * *

Inspired by own crack edit of this iconic scene from Friends:

I read so many AU fics where they fail to find Tariq, Liam marries Madeleine, MC goes back to NY with a broken heart.

Here’s my take on that AU! 😂

Liam has said that imagining it’s MC beside him instead of Madeleine helps him go through with that sham of an engagement. So what’s stopping from imagining this on his wedding day?

The real question is was this slip intentional or not?


End file.
